1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more specifically to an image processing apparatus in which, when the image processing apparatus is wirelessly connected to an external communication apparatus, authentication of the connection is performed by a simple operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a method of easily authenticating, using a sound, a wireless connection between an MFP (Multi Function Printer), an image data storage apparatus, or the like, which serves as an image processing apparatus and a portable terminal with a camera function, a digital camera, or the like, which serves as an external communication apparatus is described in JP 2007-249425 A, for example.
The connection authentication method described in JP 2007-249425 A relates to, for example, wireless connection authentication between a printer and a digital camera. Here, the digital camera includes a generating unit that generates a sound of a specific pattern, by which the digital camera can be identified; an output unit that outputs the sound; and a communicator that performs wireless communication with the printer. The printer includes an input unit to which the sound outputted from the output unit of the digital camera is inputted; an authenticator that performs authentication of a connection to the digital camera based on the specific pattern; and a communicator that performs wireless communication with the digital camera. When the authenticator of the printer authenticates a wireless connection to the digital camera based on the specific pattern, wireless communication starts between the printer and the digital camera.
According to the connection authentication method described in JP 2007-249425 A, a wireless connection between an image processing apparatus such as a printer and an external communication apparatus such as a digital camera supposedly can be performed by a simple operation.
However, in such a connection authentication method, although various modes of connection authentication are proposed, an operation method performed by a user when performing connection authentication is not described. Hence, there is a problem that the user does not know how he/she should operate the image processing apparatus and the external communication apparatus.